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Tag: Centennial

When I read John Kings’ description of finding names for book characters, I flipped in my Bible to the Genesis passage where God gave Adam the “naming” task.
“There were around 70 main characters in Centennial, and to find names that sounded appropriate for the parts they played, as well as being in keeping with their family origins and their time in history, was an important and pleasurable part of our research, rather like a game of literary Scrabble.”
“Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.” Genesis 2:19 (niv)
The Bible doesn’t say Adam whined. There is nothing recorded that says, “But God, I’ve never named anyone before.” No, Adam named every living creature and we know God continually said, “And it is good.”
Those helping Michener name the characters for Centennial didn’t whine, sometimes in their discussions they argued over what they believed a character might say or do, but mostly they enjoyed building the cast on paper.
What task has God given you? Maybe not naming animals or people, but if you complete the task without complaint will you hear the Lord say, “And it is good.”
Prayer: Our gracious father in heaven, help us to welcome with open arms whatever you call us to do for you. Amen
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17 (NIV)
 Savannah and I have found a treasure house, well actually, a Goodwill Warehouse where all the goodies are in bins. You need to dig to find something. Find things I did.
Baskets, stuffed animals, a shelf—exactly what I wanted for outside—and books.
“Grandma, you really want that book about James Michener?” she asked. She wrinkled her nose at the torn book jacket.
“Wait till you see inside,” I said. “It’s the story of how James A. Michener wrote Centennial.” That didn’t mean anything to Savannah, but I remember the book and the NBC 25 hour mini-series well.
Born in 1907, Michener grew up during the depression. About 1937 he started thinking about a western saga; it was 1972 before he put his thoughts on paper. He hired John Kings to help with the western history and Tessa Dalton for photography. For a full year, the trio with Michener’s wife traveled gathering data.
Kings wrote In Search of the Centennial, my suburb find, in response to requests from Michener readers for an insight into the man. My interest isn’t in Michener the man, but Michener the author. The years he spent writing one book, the many people he met along the way, and the laborious editing. The labor he poured into everything he wrote, the precise preparation, and the sixty books he read before he put pen to paper about the west.
Prayer: Father, may we dedicate ourselves to whatever our task might be, whether we write a history book like Michener, our true life experiences, or a novel. May we be committed to make every word be pleasing unto you. Amen